The Worm At Work
by Raven-4ever
Summary: Book and movie reference What was Grima's pathetic side of the story during that entire episode from his banishment to Isengard? And, who was there in the shadows every step of the way? original character alert COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chapter 1

"Your words are poison!" Eowyn spat, and left the room. Grima hung his head. He wasn't really aware about it before, but Eowyn, who was to be merely his "prize", had stung him very painfully.

Whenever she wasn't looking, Grima found himself standing in the shadows, watching her as she strode across the floor with an aura of such power and authority around her. Eowyn was fair and slender, and had long blonde hair that swayed around her when she walked. But, her eyes had a darkness and a deep sadness that only the ones who paid attention could see.

Grima saw it all, from her beautiful hair to the danger in her eyes, and he was smitten. He took care to hide his feelings from her, as well as from all those around him. He knew he could never win over Eowyn, seeing how she treated even the most charming of her Rohirrim suitors.

That was all that Grima thought about as he walked through the halls. He had gathered up all his courage to speak with Eowyn, and as he expected, she pushed him away. But, her manner of rejecting Grima was so abrupt and so hard, he was unprepared and shocked. He was a sorry sight to see, the black robes he wore symbolizing even more of him than before.

Then, Grima straightened up, hardened his face, and marched quickly to the throne room, where Theoden was.

"Well, now that the woman is out of the way," he said to himself sternly. "I can concentrate more on the task at hand."

He kept marching until a guard approached him.

"There are visitors approaching." The guard softly said to Grima. "They are a queer company."

"How queer?" Grima hissed back, upset at the news.

"There are four members: one elf, one dwarf, one man, and one old man, a little too tall for his age and appearance. I think the old one might be a wizard, but he is strangely robed for a wizard, so he might be a man. What to you make of it all?" Grima frowned. Immediately, the name "Gandalf the Grey" came to his troubled mind.

"Take all their arms and set them aside. We don't want any trouble. They might be murderous." He commanded the guard. The guard in response nodded vigorously and hurried to carry out his orders. Grima also hurried, but to Theoden's side.

"My Lord," Grima began, whispering into the king's ear. Just then, he caught sight of a figure in the shadows. He could make out the silhouette of a woman clad in a dress darker than the shadows themselves, a hood covering her hair and making her face dark and invisible, save for two small glittering slits that were her eyes. Grima shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, the dark silhouette was gone, as if it was never there.

Right when the shadow disappeared, the door opened and four figures were being escorted in by the guards. Grima scowled. It was time to do his job. "My Lord," he began again.

AN: Okay, this is a really confusing story (especially when I get into later chapters), and this is my very first submission, so please help me out if I get anything from the book or movie wrong (The Two Towers).


	2. Chapter 2

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chapter 2

(Time passed since last episode: about an hour)

"I cannot believe it." Grima grumbled to himself. He was banished from Rohan after the discovery of his true job, and was lucky to escape alive, seeing the hatred in Theoden's eyes as he held his sword. Now, Grima was on Horseback, riding to Isengard to his real lord, Saruman "The Traitor". The ride was long even on horseback, so Grima had time to think over what happened back at Rohan. He thought back to the time when Gandalf threw off his grey cloak, revealing his white robes, robes that Grima had only seen on Saruman. Grima was shocked and frightened, but mostly infuriated. Why didn't Hama take Gandalf's staff? The fool! All of the guards were fools! But, enough about them, for they were relatively powerless. It was Gandalf that made Saruman's blood boil. That wizard had meddled in Saruman's affairs once too many.

But then, another thought came to him. He never truly enjoyed Rohan all that much, so he felt a sudden relief and strength. He laughed a harsh laugh that would make the hair on anyone's arms stand on end.

"No more Rohan!" Grima yelled into the wind, grinning. "No more walking around guarded halls! No more guards in general! No more..." he faltered then, and his voice became sad. "...Eowyn." He found that he missed the darkness in her eyes, the commanding tone in her voice, and her hair... her long blonde hair that swayed whenever she moved. Eowyn was the one aspect of Rohan that made Grima stay willingly. He remembered how she rejected him, so cold and so abrupt. Grima slowly looked behind him, but there was nothing but grass and trees as far as he could see.

He looked back to the front, then his head jerked to the side suddenly. He noticed a figure in the shadows of the woods beside him. It was the same woman he saw back at Rohan. The dress was the same, and so was the hooded head, but some sunlight was shining on her face, so Grima could make out some of her facial features. The upper part of her face was hidden by the shadow of the hood, but Grima saw that she had very pale skin, though not as pale as his own, and thin pale lips that showed neither smile nor scowl. Through the shadows of the hood, Grima could see the same dark slits for eyes, but there was more of a glitter in them, as if she was mocking him or crying for him. Grima held onto that vision, craning his neck back as his horse sped on forward.

Then, Grima's horse made a turn to one side, making Grima return his eyes to the front. He steered the horse in the right direction again, but when he looked back towards the woods, he found he was too far away to see the woman. "Who was that?" Grima thought out loud, returning his attention ahead of him. At last, he could see a glimpse of Orthanc in the distance. He was nearing Isengard. "Finally." He grumbled, momentarily forgetting about the strange shadow of a woman. "I hope Saruman is in a relatively good mood."


	3. Chapter 3

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chapter 3

(Time passed since last episode: about an hour)

"Why did I come here?" Grima hissed under his breath. He had arrived at Isengard, only to find the land flooded and guarded by Ents and two Halflings, and Saruman in a very horrible mood. Now, he found himself looking out of a window high up in Orthanc, the only building left standing. He gazed at the water beneath him, debris and destruction floating on top and sinking to the bottom. Curse those tree people, those Ents. He despised the destroyers of Isengard, as well as anyone who made his life miserable. He propped up his head on his hand and looked beyond, trying to forget about Saruman's fury for a little while.

Then, Grima was aroused from his pensive state when he heard a soft "Pssst!" He straightened up but didn't look behind him. Maybe Saruman was going to take out some more of his anger on him. But the beckoning hiss came again, louder this time. Grima noticed that Saruman's voice was too deep to make a sound like that, and that caused some confusion.

"That's not Saruman!" Grima thought. He slowly turned around, only half-expecting to see who he was about to look upon. Standing right behind him was the hooded stranger, only since she wasn't in the shadows, Grima gave a start at seeing her for the first time in light. The woman's flowing dress was a very dark green, and her hooded cloak was blacker than darkness itself. The darkness of her clothes proved to be a great contrast to her face. Even the shadowed part of her face was pale, and her thin lips were curled at the edges into a dark smile. Grima realized that he was staring with his mouth hanging open at the woman. He immediately composed himself and his grim expression returned.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to act commanding.

"I am sure you want to bring Theoden to his final defeat, am I correct?" she asked, her expression not changing. Grima's eyes widened a little at her voice. She had a high-pitched voice like a girl, but there was a complex tone in her voice that gave Grima the impression that she had much dark knowledge and wisdom, and that was intimidating to him. "Am I correct?" the woman repeated, narrowing her dark eyes. Grima nodded meekly. "I thought so. They will be at Helm's Deep. I already informed Saruman a while before your arrival." She said. Frightened as he was, Grima was upset that Saruman knew about it before his arrival to Isengard. Grima wanted the credit of telling Saruman so he could get on his good side. He was also confused.

"You work with Saruman?" he asked, feeling left out. Why didn't Saruman tell him about her? To him, being replaced was worse than being tormented. The woman laughed, which shocked Grima. Her laugh was an evil cackle that put Grima's harsh laugh to shame.

"I work for no one, but I know many things." she said, a hint of pride in her voice. Grima felt relieved, but he was still unsure of the strange woman. The power and authority the woman had reminded him a little bit of Eowyn. He relaxed a little bit, but her power was so strong, his voice was caught in his throat. He managed to squeak out the one question that popped to his mind.

"Who are you?" There was a short pause, as if the woman was reluctant to reveal her identity. At length, she raised up her long fingers and pulled off her hood, letting all her brown wavy hair fall over her shoulders. Grima gasped at the deep darkness of her thin eyes, and the pained expression on her face from removing the hood. She looked at him with the darkest of scowls. "My name is Katherine."


	4. Chapter 4

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chapter 4

(Time passed since last episode: About an hour)

_That army he sent is enormous!_ Grima thought to himself after hearing of what Saruman did before he arrived. He detached himself from the window and slowly paced the floor of the tower. It was getting slightly duller than usual around Isengard. Even Saruman stopped beating him up just for stress relief. The windows of the tower were Grima's only ways to look into the outside world, so that's where he spent most of his time.

"Impressed?" Saruman asked after telling Grima of his huge Uruk army sent to Helm's Deep. Grima didn't look at hiom, but he knew Saruman was smiling proudly, trying to hide how upset he was about the ent attack.

"I'm very impressed, Lord." Grima said, humoring Saruman. Bored or not, he still did not want to get on Saruman's bad side. That one compliment was all Saruman needed. He grinned and leaned back in his chair. _He's trying too hard to hide his emotions._ Grima thought, shaking his head. He went back to the window and looked out again, resting his chin on his hand. _I also try hard to hide my emotions._ He lowered his eyes, staring blankly at the flood below him.

"Oh, Eowyn..." he sighed under his breath so Saruman would not be able to hear. He envisioned Eowyn's face, with her fair skin and deep eyes. He envisioned the long blonde hair that framed her face and swayed in even the slightest breeze. How he longed to see her again. He knew that he had only been away from her for a few hours, but that was enough to make him badly want to see her again.

Then, against his will, the face of Eowyn began to change. Her eyes narrowed into dark shadowy slits. Her golden hair made a switch to dark brown waves. Her skin paled. Her lips thinned. Grima's eyes widened when he was staring into the face of Katherine. She had the same look of authority and power in her expression as that of Eowyn. Katherine had the same darkness, the same mysterious side, the same... beauty... Grima gave a start and snapped out of his daydream. _Oh, no no NO! the lack of Eowyn's presence is getting TOO much to my head!_ But was it? Grima never noticed it before. Katherine was so much like Eowyn, as different as they seemed.

"Could it be?" Grima whispered, slowly shaking his head.

"Could what be?" came a voice from behind him. Grima gasped and spun around. It was Katherine, the very person he was thinking of. She had her hood on again, but there was less of a shadow on her face. Grima could do nothing but stare, shocked. "You were thinking about me, weren't you, Wormtongue?" she said, emphasizing his name with a dark hiss. Grima shook his head, but he could not take his eyes off her.

"N-no!" he stammered, faltering under Katherine's emotionless gaze. "Why? W-Why do you think I was?" he said in a clearer voice. He was able to compose himself unusually quickly.

"Because of the fear in your eyes." Katherine hissed, bringing her face close to his so he could not escape the bottomless darkness of the slits that were her eyes. Grima was gripped with fear again, and Katherine could not miss it._ Men. They are so weak._ She thought, a chilling grin spreading across her thin lips. "Yes, you were thinking about me." Then, she turned around and left Grima by the window. Grima clutched his chest and leaned back against the windowsill, breathing heavily. She scared him so much that he didn't want to see her at all, yet she reminded himso much of Eowyn that he wanted to be around her.

"I don't know." He sighed, hanging his head in exhaustion and defeat. "I don't know."


	5. Chapter 5

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chapter: 5

(Time passed since last episode: about 45 minutes)

"We lost, didn't we?" Grima mumbled. Katherine looked at him.

"What do you mean, we? You and your lord lost, but not me." She said in her high-pitched voice. There was a little hint of laughter in her voice. Grima looked down and sighed. Katherine's presence made him timid and less harsh.

"I thought you said that the battle would bring Theoden to his final defeat." He said softly, only a little above a whisper.

"I never said that." Katherine replied, a small smile twitching at the edge of her lips. "I only told you that the battle would take place at Helm's Deep. I don't know results before they happen, so I don't say the results until they do happen!" Grima shook his head in disbelief. _She's right. Oh, why did I get so excited?_ The words that Katherine said made so much sense, he cursed himself for getting his hopes up. Grima hated Theoden, he hated the skill of the Rohirrim warriors, and he hated how Saruman's gigantic Uruk army was defeated. He was getting second thoughts on exactly how big the army actually was. But, out of all that he hated about Rohan, his original home, there was one thing that troubled Grima mush more greatly.

"I hope Eowyn's alright."

"Ah, so it's true! I had my suspicions before, but this confirms it!" Katherine said, laughing. Grima stiffened. He didn't realize he said his thought out loud. Katherine's laughter wasn't as harsh as before, in fact, she seemed genuinely amused. "So, your heart has been stolen by the fiercest lady of Rohan!" she said, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Stop it," Grima mumbled, but Katherine went on.

"She broke your heart, leaving you with a knife in your soul, but you still cling on to her, even by mere memory." At this, Grima looked up, startled. He knew that Katherine knew many things, but he wasn't aware that she knew that much.

"How do you..." he started, but Katherine wouldn't let him finish.

"I've been watching you, even at Rohan. I was there when Eowyn pushed you away, and I was there when Eowyn fell for the ranger who accompanied the wizard." This was something new to Grima.

"Eowyn fell for the ranger?" he asked in a loud, surprised voice.

"Wormtongue!" she hissed. "Do you want Saruman to hear? He's not a fan of loud chatting, you know!" Grima relaxed again. He took a deep breath and looked at Katherine.

"Is this true?" he asked, hoping that Eowyn's heart still wasn't taken.

"Very true. If I was not sure, I wouldn't be telling you." Katherine replied, looking Grima honestly in the eyes. Grima looked into her eyes, but didn't look away. Katherine's eyes were not as harsh and dark, and that gave Grima the very impression of Eowyn. The two women looked nothing alike, but their eyes held the same messages. Grima now realized that all he had to do to see Eowyn was to look into Katherine's eyes.

"I see you aren't afraid of me anymore." Katherine observed, her voice portraying no emotion.

All Grima could say was "No."


	6. Chapter 6

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chapter: 6

(Time passed since last episode: about an hour)

"Curse this tower!" Saruman growled, pacing the floor. The lack of activity was getting to him. Before the ents attacked, Saruman had control over all of Isengard, and now there was nothing to rule over with the exception of Grima and Orthanc. "Nothing! I'm left with absolutely NOTHING! Curse those ents."

Grima watched Saruman pace the floor, rolling his eyes and resting his hand on his fist.He was sitting down on the floor with his back resting against the wall, somewhat drowsy. He knew that Saruman was tired of kicking him around, so he had nothing to worry about. Katherine was also watching Saruman in the shadows, with her dark eyes shut halfway into smaller slits under the shadow of her hood. All three of them needed some sort of activity to occupy themselves for at least a little while before they went mad. At length, Saruman paused. He heard a sound from far off. He made his way to the closest window.

"Horses." He said, grinning. He was relieved that something new was happening. Then, his face switched to an upset scowl almost instantly. "Oh no," he grumbled. "Gandalf and his odd companions are coming." At this, Grima winced. He remembered all too well his first encounter with the four travelers. He could not forget the humiliation of not doing his job well. Katherine also remembered the travelers. Her eyes were now fully open, but she was not as affected as Saruman and Grima. She knew that they would come, she just wasn't sure about when.

"When they come, stay out of the way." Saruman commanded Grima. "Let me do the talking." Right after he said this, there was a loud banging at the door. Saruman stiffened. "Go check, Wormtongue." He commanded.

"But you told me to stay..." Grima started, but Saruman wasn't in the mood for arguments.

"Answer the door, THEN get out of the way, Wormtongue!" Saruman hissed. Grima jumped up and left his spot for a moment, stuck his head out the window and shouted "Who's there?" The reply was incomprehensible to Katherine and Saruman. Grima returned to his original spot and said "Gandalf wants to speak with you, my Lord."

Saruman sighed in resignation. "If he insists." He said, clearing his throat. He went to the window. Grima relaxed when Saruman took his attention away from him. He looked over at Katherine, once again darkened by the shadows. She slowly walked into the light when she saw that Saruman had his attention elsewhere. Katherine never took a liking to Saruman, in fact, after she informed him about Helm's Deep, Saruman had no use for her, so he ignored her. She stood next to Grima, who was sitting down on the floor with one hand on his forehead. Katherine looked down at him.

"You do know that the ranger is down there; the one who stole Eowyn's heart." She said softly.

"Yes, I know." Grima replied, not moving. Katherine frowned. Before, whenever the subject of Eowyn came up, Grima would have a heartbroken expression on his face. Of course, Grima and Katherine had only known each other for a few hours, but many things can happen in a short period of time.

"You're already over the Rohan woman?" Katherine asked, sitting beside Grima. "It has been less than a day." Grima lifted his eyes.

"I'm not completely over Eowyn," He rasped, not looking at his companion. "I still want to be with her... very much." Then, he took a deep breath. Katherine would never understand how he felt, and how he could feel it so quickly. But, he felt that he had to let her know some time, and this was the perfect time. He could hear Saruman talking with Gandalf. _All right, Wormtongue. Now or never._ He said to himself. Then, he looked at Katherine, right in the eyes. Katherine wasn't wearing her hood at the moment, so her dark glittering eyes almost overwhelmed him. He swallowed hard before speaking, but when he opened his mouth, his voice was shaky.

"Katherine," he began. Katherine raised an eyebrow questioningly. Grima hesitated, then continued softly. "Katherine, whenever I look into your eyes, I see Eowyn. I can't explain it, but all I have to do to be with Eowyn is to look at you." Grima then clamped his mouth shut. He must have gone too far. He was not acting like himself at all. He hung his head in shame.

Katherine reached out a pale hand and raised his head so he was staring straight into her eyes. "So, you have fallen for me just as you fell for the Rohan woman." She hissed, glaring at Grima. He was struck dumb by Katherine's gaze, so all he could do was nod his head guiltily. Katherine continued. "You are aware that there are many differences between Eowyn and myself, aren't you?" she asked, staring at Grima more intensely, as if she was scaring the answers out of him. Grima winced and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt that Katherine would push him away at any time. "Of course, one of the differences is..." Katherine said slowly, her voice becoming les harsh. Grima braced himself. _Just get this over with, please! I can't take this any more!_ "...I won't break your heart."

Katherine finished, then let go of Grima's chin, letting his head drop. Grima was in total shock. She didn't reject him! He looked willingly at Katherine, and found that her lips were curled in a tiny smile. Grima was about to say how happy he was to Katherine, when a voice broke the moment. Saruman was cursing the company below him so loud, both Grima and Katherine were jolted back to reality.

"Curses." Grima hissed, hating Saruman more than usual. On impulse, he stood up and grabbed Saruman's palantir. Katherine stood up as well.

"Oh no." she whispered, putting her hood back on and backing into the shadows.

"Please don't make me miss." Grima hissed. He threw the palantir.


	7. Chapter 7

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chaper: 7

(Time passed since last episode: a few days)

"That does it! We are leaving Orthanc!" Saruman growled. He was becoming mad. First ents attacked Isengard, then his enormous Uruk army was defeated, then Gandalf simply had to come to the tower to rub it in, and to top it off, Grima almost hit him with the palantir!

Needless to say, Grima felt angry and miserable as well. Saruman had a new reason to curse and scold Grima. Saruman was cursing a storm because Grima threw the palantir of all things. They both knew that Sauron would not be pleased at all.

As for Katherine, she disappeared into the shadows, watching everything with her dark eyes widened in shock. She knew what would happen if anyone got their hands on the palantir, but she never knew how much Saruman needed it. Now, she had witnessed Saruman's full wrath, and she didn't like it. She found out, after Saruman's outburst, she would not be able to surpass him in either strength or authority.

Grima stirred in his little corner. "But, my Lord," he squeaked. "Where will we go? More importantly, how will we leave the tower?"  
Saruman turned to him, his eyes burning. Grima shrank down and cowered in his corner.

"We'll find a way." Saruman said slowly between gritted teeth. "We'll get out of here, if it's the last thing I do!" he finished, his voice risen to a yell. Katherine flinched. So did Grima. "Do you doubt that we will get out of here?" Saruman shouted, picking Grima up by the front of his black robe. Grima's eyes were filled with terror, and his breathing was constricted. Saruman shook him. "DO YOU?" he scolded, bringing Grima's terrified face to his own red seething one. Grima could feel tears about to form in his eyes.

Katherine couldn't take it anymore. It hurt her to see Grima being abused in this way. She stepped out of the shadows. "The floods will die down!" she said, approaching Saruman.

Saruman spun around, dropping Grima on the ground. Grima started couching and rubbing his neck. Katherine struggled to keep from crying at the sight of Grima.

"It will be safe to leave eventually." She continued, trying to show authority and power in front of Saruman. She found it difficult, looking into Saruman's fiery eyes and angry frown. Katherine had never in her whole life been afraid, so this was a new experience.

"Do you think I will be able to wait that long?" Saruman asked, his voice dangerously gentle and soft. He advanced on Katherine, and she found herself backing up. She cleared her throat, trying to gain more control of the conversation.

"Why? Are you impatient?" she asked, standing her ground again. This one stand gave her more courage. "It's been quite a few days since your little chat with the _new_ White Wizard. Why can't you stay in the tower a little longer? You know that he might be out there." Grima's eyes widened when he hread this. Katherine had gone too far.

Saruman boiled over. He took one step forward and struck her across the face, tearing a part of her hood and cheek with his clawlike nails. Katherine gasped, but bit her lower lip to prevent herself from wailing. Grima was overwhelmed with shock. He sat as still as a statue as Saruman wiped the blood from his nails on his robe.

"Why don't you stay in the shadows where you belong?" she sneered, glaring at Katherine. Katherine put a hand to the scratch on her cheek. She bared her teeth and a growl escaped her throat, but she kept her eyes closed as she made her way to the shadows. Saruman relaxed after she was out of sight.

"Well then, I guess we're all stuck in this tower until something comes up." Grima's shocked expression changed into a look of pure hatred. _Saruman struck Katherine. He actually stuck her!_

Grima was not about to forgive him for that.


	8. Chapter 8

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chapter: 8

(Time passed since last episode: weeks)

"About time." Saruman said. The ents were finally letting them leave Isengard. The ents didn't give any explanation, but made Saruman and Grima promise not to harm any trees. Grima willingly swore that he wouldn't because he truthfully had no intention to harm them at all, but Saruman was formulating loopholes of some sort even as he made his promise. But, there was something strange in Katherine's dark eyes, a glint that Grima had never seen before. "Anything wrong?" he asked, standing beside Katherine. "I don't want to leave Isengard." She said, staring straight ahead as if in a trance.

Grima looked at her, confused. "Don't look at me like that, Grima." She said, her voice monotone. "I just don't want to." Now, Grima knew that something was very wrong. She never called him Grima. He was getting suspicions that Saruman had done something to her mind.

Before Grima could say another word, Saruman pushed Katherine aside. "Let's go, Wormtongue." He hissed, making Grima not want to disobey. Katherine appeared behind Grima, making him spin around.

"Are you going to leave me?" Katherine asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Saruman spun him around so his back was to Katherine. "You are under my command!" he shouted in Grima's terrified face.

"Do you really want to go with HIM?" Katherine asked, sounding strangely desperate. "Do you really want to stay HERE?" Saruman yelled. The two went back and forth, one telling him to go, one telling him to stay. One would kill him if he stayed, and one would torment his mind by her absence if he left.

He couldn't take it any longer. He fell to his knees, clutched his head and screamed...

Grima shot up with a gasp. He looked around. There was no sign of Saruman or Katherine in sight. Grima sat back down and sighed with relief. He leaned back against the wall he fell asleep on. He stared straight ahead at the opposite wall, thinking over his dream. What if he did have to choose between Saruman and Katherine? Grima hoped he would never have to do that.

While he was reflecting over the question, Katherine approached him silently. Grima gave a start when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. "Wormtongue?" she asked in her childlike voice. "You look troubled. I know that pensive expression." She removed her hood and took a seat next to him.

Grima shut his eyes. He didn't want to look into Katherine's eyes just yet, for whenever he did, he either became willing to tell everything on his mind and lose caution, or simply be struck dumb with awe. This time, he took caution in telling Katherine of what troubled him. "I was just thinking about choices." He slowly said, keeping his eyes closed.

"Choices?" Katherine asked, raising an eyebrow. She knew for a fact that Grima was not a person who gave some questions very deep thought. _He must be thinking about very unusual choices to give them much attention._ Katherine thought.

"Katherine," Grima said, opening his eyes again, yet staring at his feet. "When we get out of this tower, it's very likely that you and Saruman will go different ways, seeing how you two get along." His eyes strayed to the scar on Katherine's face. Katherine put a pale hand to her scratched cheek and nodded.

Grima continued. "So, that would mean I would have to choose which path to take, whether to go with you or with Saruman." Katherine flinched at this. _Is it really hard to choose between an evil wizard and myself?_ Grima saw Katherine's pained expression. "No, no, Katherine! That's not what I meant! I would rather go your way! It's just that..."

Grima faltered. Katherine listened intently. Grima took a deep breath before continuing. "It's just that Saruman is my Lord. If I were to choose you, there's no telling what he would do to me for disobeying. Katherine, do you understand?" Katherine was looking down at the floor the entire time.

Grima sighed. "Katherine, you hold the very spirit of my beloved Eowyn in your eyes. You know I don't want to leave that." He said, putting a hand on Katherine's shoulder. Katherine was very surprised that Grima had that kind of speech in him. She looked at him, and Grima stared into her eyes, seeing Eowyn, the sad and dark side of her.

"I hope you don't have to come to choosing." Katherine said, an unsure smile on her pale thin lips. Grima kissed her hand, embraced her, and whispered "I hope so too." So, the two of them sat there together, unaware of all else around them, including the tall figure watching the two of them.

"Oh, you won't have to choose between us, you worm." The figure hissed, clenching his teeth. "I'll make sure of it."


	9. Chapter 9

Author: Karina "Galadriel"

Chapter: 9

(Time passed since last episode: about a week)

Time passed slowly at Isengard, so Saruman took to falling asleep on his chair for long periods of time. Katherine got tired of standing in the shadows, so she took to roaming about Orthanc. Grima stayed with Katherine most of the time. The two grew more attached to eachother as the days drew on, and stuck together, though not saying much.

It was at the time when the two of them were spending the most time together that Saruman didn't sleep. He watched the pair under half-closed eyes as they walked around, unaware. Saruman made soft snoring noises so the two would suspect him less for watching and eavesdropping. Nevertheless, Grima and Katherine spoke in whispers so as not to "wake him up". This annoyed Saruman greatly, for he had to strain his ears to hear what they were saying.

Saruman pretended to be asleep until he was sure that they were too caught up in each other to notice him. He slowly rose up from his chair and pulled a slender bundle from his robes. Then, without making a single sound, he advanced on the pair.

Grima was not aware of Saruman at all at the time, for he was staring down and muttering something inaudible even to Katherine's ears.

"Did you say something, Wormtongue?" Katherine asked softly. Grima was very nervous. He had spent much time with Katherine and told her about his feelings, but he never flat-out told her that he loved her. When he looked at her, he saw less of Eowyn and more of Katherine herself.

"I... I..." Grima stammered. Katherine raised an eyebrow. Grima cleared his throat. He never was prepared to tell her the exact same words he had said to Eowyn, though in vain. "I love you!" He finally blurted out.

"You told me that already." Katherine replied, embracing her companion. Grima went from nervous to confused.

"I did? When?" he asked, looking into Katherine's eyes. Her glittering eyes already told him the answer. Katherine brought her face closer to his so that he felt as if he was staring into two dark shining windows of emotion.

"I knew ever since you looked at me the same way you looked at Eowyn. I know that look very well." came her spoken reply. Then, she closed her eyes and smiled. Grima found his chance. He too closed his eyes and brought his face even closer to hers to kiss her.

But, just as their lips touched, Katherine's eyes looked up in surprise and she gave a sharp gasp. At the same time, Grima felt a sharp prick on the middle of his chest. He drew away from Katherine, and she fell limp in his arms. He looked down and gave a cry when he saw the tip of a reddened knife pointing out of Katherine's chest. He looked at her face, her dark eyes now showing no emotional deepness, no longer any sign of the darkness that he had come to love.

Suddenly, the knife was pulled out and Katherine fell to the floor. Grima slowly took his eyes of her and looked into the face of Saruman. Saruman wiped the blade on his robes, the blood stain standing out red against white.

"Now, you won't have to choose." Saruman said, hurting Grima with the lack of emotion in his voice. He turned and walked away, leaving Grima with the now dead Katherine, miserable beyond words.Grima kneeled on the ground, looking at Katherine's face, her features frozen in shock.

With tears forming in his eyes, Grima slowly reached out and closed Katherine's eyes, taking one last look at the the dark eyes that once hypnotized him, that once made him feel wanted. He spent hours mourning over her body, and he was surprised that he didn't run out of tears.

After a while, his sadness turned to anger, and his fists clenched. "Saruman." He growled between sobs. Saruman first tormented Grima, then he struck Katherine across the face... but killing her nearly sent Grima over the edge. He vowed he would avenge Katherine.

_Someday..._


End file.
